A video signal switching apparatus having editing function to select an arbitrary video signal from plural video signals, or to carry out synthesis thereof, and to give various special effects to image is called a video switcher, and is adapted so that plural television cameras or plural video tape recorders (VTRs), etc. are caused to be video signal sources to select an arbitrary video signal from plural video signals supplied from these video signal sources in accordance with switching operation of operator, or to synthesize a specific video signal or character information, etc. with respect to the selected video signal. In recent years, with advancement of digitization of VTR, etc., digitization advances also in the video switcher.
With advancement of digitization of the video switcher, not only the effect to merely carry out switching of video signals, but also editing function to give various special effects, e.g., dissolve, wipe, fade-in/fade-out, etc. to image by DME (Digital Motion Effect) or DVE (Digital Video Effect), etc. have been added to the video switcher.
The video switcher comprises an operating panel (console) provided with switches and/or fader levers, etc. comprising operation buttons for selecting video signals and/or for selecting various digital effects. In the operation on the operating panel, in the case where, e.g., special effect such as wipe, etc. for displaying other image in such a manner to wipe off image being displayed is given, the fader lever is ordinarily operated to thereby control the degree of advancement of switching of image. Namely, image is switched in accordance with quantity of operation and operation speed of the fader lever.
As stated above, since the editing function to produce various special effects is provided at the video switcher in addition to the function to carry out switching of video signals, that operating panel is divided into plural systems, and is divided, every respective systems, into plural switch operation units in which a large number of switches for merely switching video signals, etc. are disposed and plural lever operation units in which fader levers for giving special effects, etc. are disposed, etc.
In the conventional video switcher, the operating panel in which switch operation units and lever operation units, etc. are disposed every plural systems is integrally constituted, and is formed as product in the state where arrangement order of plural systems and/or layout of plural switch operation units and plural lever operation units are fixed. Accordingly, in the case where user desires a video switcher of favourite arrangement order and/or layout, it is inevitable to give an order as an apparatus of the special specification. For this reason, cost extremely becomes high.
Even if user purchases the video switcher of the standard specification at a relatively low cost, in the case where operation unit which is not required for that user, etc. is assembled, user does not use that operation unit. Accordingly, burden in point of cost is applied to user as the result thereof. Further, even after the video switcher is purchased, there naturally also takes place the case where there is a need to change arrangement order and/or layout in dependency upon difference of operability by right-handness or left-handness of operator and/or fondness of operator, etc. However, the conventional video switcher could not cope with such request.